Communications networks are being increasingly used for real-time communications such as voice and video communication. In such fields it becomes more important that the data transmitted, making up the content of such communications, arrives at the correct time within the communication data sequence, e.g. within the conversation sequence. Some communications networks and transport networks are designed to value error free delivery of data over timely delivery of data, whereas other networks prioritize timely delivery of data above error free delivery of data. When communications are sent using protocols designed to prioritize timely delivery of data, it can often be difficult for the receiving terminal of the communication data to assess whether data packets are arriving late within the sequence due to delays at the transmitter, or due to delays in the network itself. To account for these delays many receivers possess a buffer, referred to as a jitter buffer, for storing received data packets before further processing the content of these packets into an audible communication for playout. This allows the receiver to wait some amount of time in the hope of receiving the delayed data before the data being played out reaches the point in the sequence where it requires the audio data yet to be received.
Some jitter buffers are configured with an adaptive mechanism whereby, when the receiver receives a packet which it perceives as being delayed, the length of the jitter buffer is increased, to allow more time for the delayed packet to be received. However, this results in artificial pauses in the audible communication, and can result in the parties of the communication perceiving this delay, for example resulting in the parties talking over each other. The receiver may eventually determine that a packet will not be received in time and the missing packet is then concealed.